the Great Mage Palin
by chi-foo
Summary: Palin has the portal to the Abyss stolen from him, by the Gray Knights! Please R&R! Chapter 11 Read! Read!
1. Default Chapter

The Great Mage Palin  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dragonlance characters, except for Vanifar. So leave me alone you stupid lawyers!  
  
Palin leaned back on his chair and yawned. He had been studying his spell books almost half the night. He lazily spoke a word of magic, and he was suddenly in his room. He got into his night robe and fell asleep almost instantly.  
  
As Palin slept, down below in the forbidden Shoikan Grove, there was movement. A tiny smoke like shadow was approaching the grove. It was a Group of Gray Knights formed as one. Several words of magic were barely whispered, and the shadowy form was inside the laboratory, the forbidden room that was guarded on the outside by the undead guardian. It's two, lidless, eyes watched the dark outside carefully. But inside many secret things were being done.  
  
The dark, gray shadow separated into three Gray Knights. "Come on we have to get it out of here before anyone comes.," whispered Vanifar, the leader of the three. The other two silently obeyed and walked over to a dark velvet curtain in a corner of the room. They bowed their shaved heads and started chanting.  
  
Outside, The Guardian heard the chanting. He was ready to go in the room and dispatch the intruders when he remembered his orders. "Never go inside that room.," said Palin to the specter. Palin had only strictly reinforced Dalamar's order after he was given the tower. But, the guardian could alert his master on what was transpiring.  
  
Palin was dreaming nothing that night when he heard a voice. "Master they're intruders in your laboratory." It was The Guardian. Palin knew that cold, emotionless, voice anywhere. Palin grabbed the Staff of Magius and flung on his black robes with little effort and chanted a few words and arrived at the top of the tower at the door. Palin knew it was the Gray Knights. They had been hassling him to turn over the portal to them. Palin refused because of what had happened in history twice, once with his uncle, Raistlin. The Guardian parted immediately and Palin almost flung the door off it's hinges.  
  
"Ah, I see you did not learn from history, you unwise one.," Palin said to the intruders. Vanifar only looked up and snarled and snapped his fingers. They immediately disappeared. That was the first time Palin swore. It was also the longest curse anyone had ever heard. "You will regret it either way.," said Palin turning and disappearing into thin air, only to reappear at the tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
As soon as Palin arrived he ran to Dalamar's study. Dalamar had recently acquired the position after Justarius's untimely death, after the raid on the Gray Knights fortress. Dalamar looked up from a piece of parchment he was writing on. He looked paler than usual, even for an elf. "I know why you have come.," said the elf, not even trying to stay calm. Palin saw true fear in Dalamar's eyes. He had never seen that before. He shuddered. "You know what they will try to do.," remarked Palin bluntly. "They will yet again make another attempt at setting the Dark Queen free into Krynn. I have never seen such insolence. Do they not know that Takhisis will only use them as a stepping stone and will sweep them aside or sacrifice them like a chess piece when she is done using them?" 'I have known it for a long time Palin, a long time.," said Dalamar softly. I am tired Palin. I have seen too many wars and too much bloodshed. That great bitch will stop at nothing to get ultimate control over life as we know it."  
  
Palin looked at the elf with sorrow. How sad it would be to see all that and see it what seems like everyday. "I know what we must do we must kill the dark goddess once and for all." Dalamar did not even look up but turn even paler. "I know.," he said "I know."  
  
Dalamr and palin walked down the corridor to Wayreth's laboratory. It was the best one on Krynn. Dalamar opened the door and went inside. Palin followed.  
  
Palin saw many amazing things. But at last, they arrived to a circular platform with many intricate runes carved into it's marble surface. This would put him in the middle of the Abyss. He looked around, it might be the last time he would be alive. Dalamar stepped onto the platform with the human. "Ready?" "Yes.," Palin said very shaken. He hoped he would be strong enough. Dalamar started chanting, the room began to spin around them with great speed.  
  
When the spinning stopped Palin and Dalamar were standing on a blood red plane with a blood red sky. Palin couldn't tell which was which.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Vanifar walked along the parapets of his large fortress smiling. His dark majesty would be very pleased, and would maybe grant him the prize he so greatly desired, to rule all of Krynn. He imagined himself wearing a golden jewel encrusted crown. Ah, but you see, Vanifar wanted something more, he wanted to reign supreme over all of life as he knew it. Such desires would have horrible consequences if a fine detail went wrong, like the painting of a picture. And if as a last resort to help him see his mistake by the will of some god of good, a messenger ran up the steps and was panting by the time he arrived.  
  
"Master.," said the page still gasping for breath. "The portal has sealed itself and refuses to be opened." All of the Gray Knight's dreams of luxury were lost, and were replaced with rage. "How dare he, that bastard mage! So, maybe he'll think I'll return it?  
  
Never! I curse that mage to forever burn in the Abyss!" when Vanifar turned around, he saw the page running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Vanifar fumed even more. "Psya Van/Chan!," yelled the Gray Knight. A rotting, white, skull floated in his hands. "Kill him for defying me!," shouted Vanifar. The skull shot out of his hands, chasing the page. The page was only twelve, but still ran for his life. The skull passed through his back and came out the other side, leaving no trace at all.  
  
The poor boy gave one agonizing shriek, so loud, it woke lady Crysania in Palanthas, the morning after, and fell, never to get up again.  
Vanifar just looked at the corpse and laughed. He walked over to the deceased page and drew forth a silver dagger from the dark, folds of his sleeve. He then stooped down, and slashed his back open, revealing red blood oozing out of the wound. He then slashed some more on his back, leaving a mark. He then turned over the kid, and started mutilating the face with the knife. When he was done, the body was unrecognizable, except for the back, which only had the few marks that he first made.  
  
"Being pleased with his work he called a draconian, who came running up with a smile, that would make most cringe by the sight of the crooked, green, jagged teeth. "Hang this in my study. I like to view my art in the morning. It makes me feel happier."  
  
The draconian nodded and grinned even wider as he carried away the mutilated body. And as the creature carried it away, he could make out the marks on the back reading, Art Done By Vanifar the Great. He turned and continued walking along the parapets, singing a song that involved mutilating a twelve year old page. "Now, lets go open this portal.," said Vanifar to himself. And if you looked back, you could still see a bloodstain on the stone that would never fade.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Lord Soth sat on his dark throne pondering. He had done an unusual amount of it lately. There seemed to be nothing else to do. An ex Solamnic Knight, his armor still shone in an unholy light. Once beautiful, his armor was permanently stained black. A long time ago, he was an honest, honor-bound, man. But, human nature takes over common sense. That had proven ill for him long ago. He was cursed. Cursed to a life of eternal torture, never being able to rest. But finally, he had a companion, a forced love to a woman like him.  
  
Kitiara Majere had always been an ambitious woman. Driven by her lust for power and control in the War of the Lance, she had been rewarded with spending eternity with Lord Soth. But today, Soth was pondering if there was a way out, if he could die and find peace in death.  
  
A ghost form of a beautiful woman in blue dragon scale armor appeared before him. It was Kitiara.  
  
"My love.," said the cold voice of Lord Soth. "My love.," replied Kitiara. " I have a plan." Lord Soth nodded. "We could rule this world, your skeletal warriors are unstoppable. They are no match for anyone, not even the clerics of good or evil. We could reign supreme. Reign over all life. Nothing would ever stand in our way. We would always be there.... for each other.," replied Kit rubbing up against Soth's side. She had a way of Seducing men, even cursed ones. "We could, but right now, I need a little convincing." Replied the ex knight as a bed appeared in the middle of his throne room.  
  
Kitiara could only smile with anticipated pleasure. When Kitiara was on top of Soth they gave into their hidden passion. They kept at it all night and well into mid-day, when a messenger arrived panting. When he walked into the room, he almost vomited. The undead showing their love publicly is not a pleasurable thing to see. But this page had been there before and knew to keep his mouth shut and wait. When the up and down movement slowed, the page coughed rather loudly. Soth immediately was upright and dressed, not there was modesty in a cursed man. "You have news?," asked Soth.  
  
The page said, "Vanifar of the Gray Knights asks for your assistance in a war which he thinks could end all wars and dominate all of Krynn. Kitiara looked up immediately and whispered something in his ear, or what was left in it. Soth thought for a while aand said, "Tell Vanifar that we would be extremely interested in his war."  
  
As soon as the page left and was out of earshot, Lord Soth turned to Kitiara and said, "My love, this will be the time we shall be know as the Lover's Empire." And with that, they returned to their disgusting, yet passionate lovemaking. But what they did not notice, was that the page had turned around ad spied through the keyhole like he was instructed to do by his master, Vanifar the Great. Vanifar had other things in mind. 


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 5  
  
Crysania woke up from a horrible shriek. She was blind, and her hearing senses were sharpened. It had sounded like a young boy, followed by a cruel laughter. She had tried several times to go back to sleep, but found she could not. With a sight of finally giving in, she dressed into her robe. As the head of the church, of the Temple of Paladine in Palanthas, she felt obligated to solve this mystery. She called her tiger who, was napping peacefully on the foot of her bed. It was immediately at her side guiding her to the temple grounds.  
  
She walked to the garden and sat down on a plain, wooden, bench. She had asked it to be put in because she wanted to remain simple and keep a simple lifestyle. She could smell the White Roses, which blossomed this time of year. She then remembered the time when she could see. But she had lost that ability in the Abyss, where she had helped the dark mage Raistlin, who had tried to become a god. It had proven ill for the both of them.  
  
She then started pondering on what she had heard, when a low ringing started resonating at a low tone, and kept rising to an even higher pitch. Crysania turned her head in the direction on which it had started from. Then, when it seemed that it couldn't raise any more, she actually started seeing again. Her tiger laid down and bowed it's head, as if in reverence.  
  
Crysania kneeled, but still looked up at where the sound was coming from. It seemed that her question had silently been answered, because a bright, white, light started to come out form the nothingness in the air. And out of that light stepped an old wizard, with a crooked hat upon his head, all the time demanding where it got to.  
  
"Where is my damn hat! I know you're here somewhere, so stop playing games or I will-Oh! That's where you got to you tricky demon.," he said patting the hat on his head.  
  
"My Lord!," Crysania gasped bowing low. The wizard took of his head and said, "The name's Fizban, or Paladine, as everyone knows me. But he had a look of sorrow on his face. "Child, we have dark times ahead what you saw in that dream and what you heard really happened. Crysania looked puzzled, but then remembered the shriek, and then a dream popped into her head. She fell backwards but some force set her upright on her feet.  
  
The old wizard took her by the arm and led them into the temple that worshipped him and said, "Come, we have many things to discuss." 


	3. The Sun Sets for Soth

Vanifar sat hunched over his ale, brooding. He wasn't pleased with his report from his page. Soth and Kitiara uth Matar wasn't a good mix, like a recipe with an ingredient that shouldn't be there. So, the two most evil figures next to the Dark Queen herself were going to attempt to rule Krynn. He wouldn't stand for it. Not while he was alive. He beckoned to the servant to bring him another ale, which he downed with one gulp. He had a spark of an idea ignite the wheels of his dark thoughts. If he could get one as damned as Soth, the death knight would be nothing more than a bug waiting to be squashed. Some one like Raistlin Majere....  
  
Raistlin Majere floated effortlessly across the blood red sky of the Abyss. He did not waste his time living or non-living. He had decided to torture the Takhisis with a terrifying thought that was very possible and most likely to happen. What if Chaos could return? The Father of All and Nothing would be furious with her. For she always had always poisoned his mind with dark thoughts. He saw his queen sitting on her throne saying nothing. She read his mind, she knew, there was nothing she could do to him. It was the truth....  
  
Vanifar stood in a ring of Clerics of Takhisis. He would summon  
the great Archmage as a damnation, so he could be as powerful as the  
death knight. Tresoth/Bul-astath. The mage appeared before him without  
a sound.  
  
"I believe you know what I have brought you here for" said Vanifar  
without even looking up from his palm. Raistlin only nodded. He was a  
man of very few words and would not want to displease Vanifar the  
Great. Raistlin turned into black smoke and shot across the sky  
towards the haunted fortress where Kit and Soth were. Ah, a family  
reunion, how cute. The sun set for what could be the last time for  
Soth. 


	4. The End of Soth and Kitiara

Chapter Seven  
  
"Soth" moaned Kitiara, "Tell me you love me." This was thei seventh night in a row of love making, and the pages were getting rather sick of it. Soth inserted what he was born with into Kit's tight passage again and again. Kitiara just moaned. "The world will be ours." Soth cooed in her ear. He suddenly got up and was alert. "Someone's here" he said drawing his sword. There was no time to call the specters, he would have to deal with it himself. "Show yourself!" And as if in answer to him, raistlin Majere materialized right before him with the flick of his fingers. Kitiara gasped.  
  
"Hello brother, we have been waiting...." Kitiara was nervous now and very very scared. "We'll bring you in on everything we promise." Raistlin just nodded and conjured forth a vicious looking dagger in one hand, and a cage in the other. Soth was scared too, and that is hard to believe. "Your soul is Chemosh's" hissed the summoning through parted lips. And with that he pointed the dagger at Soth, then at Kitiara. Both of them started to slide towards the cage, towards an eternity of serving the evil Chemosh who was very unforgiving. They both struggled against the force of the cage, but it was no use, they might as well try to stop the flow of the river with a single pebble. And before Kitiara was sucked into the eternal darkness, she screamed, "Curse you brother! Curse you!" And Raistlin replied, "No, it was you who almost killed me several times, I am just returning the favor." Kitiara looked frightend, and with that, she disappeared into the swirling black forever.  
  
The soul sighed and with another snap of his fingers he was gone. A page ran in after that to check on things, but noticed they weren't there, she smiled and approached Kitiara's old Dragon Highlord armor. She had always admired her, maybe she could be just like her.  
  
Lady Crysania and Fizban sat in her quarters, thinking. What did this mean she could see again. Surely it meant that Paladine must have more work for her to do. "No Crysania, I do not have work for you to do. Do not fall into old habits again, it would get you in trouble like last time." replied Fizban. Crysania flushed. He was right, shen had lost her vision that way. No, she must not let it happen again. Her selfish days were over. It was time to move on. "But there is one last task for you, one that could save the world and a lot of lives." Crysania looked at the god expectantly. "You must journey to the Abyss, and bring a message to the Dark Queen. The message is, betrayl is not good for her." Crysania fainted. 


	5. The new Kender on the block

Chapter 8 (The new character in this story is for an adoring fan. So this is my thanks to them.)  
  
Lady Crysania awoke to find herself in her bed, dressed in a robe of black. She gasped in panic, had Paladine her god betrayed her?  
  
"No Crysania, I have not betrayed you." Said Fizban appearing out of the shadows. "I merely have dressed you for your journey to the Abyss. Crysania gave an involuntary shudder. And she rarely shuddered. She still remembered the Abyss like it was yesterday. The red ground and the red sky, on which you couldn't tell apart.  
  
"But you do not have to go alone, I have brought with me a guide and faithful companion. He is both nimble and quick. Fizban gave a whistle, and in danced a merry kinder. He looked at Lady Crysania and bowed very low, so his top-knot touchd the floor. "If you will allow me to introduce myself, I am called Kenderling." Crysania looked at the god with grim anticipation. Fizban just smiled.  
  
"Kenderling take Crysania to the Abyss and bring my message to the Dark Queen.  
  
"OH really?" said Kenderling jumping with exciment, "Oh thank you Fizban thank you!" The kender started jumping around the room singing a merry dance tune. Fizban finally had to grab the kender by the top-knot to get him to stop talking. "Oh by the way Fizban..." said Crysania looking around in the Abyss. She shuddered again. "Woah." Exclaimed Kenderling. "How did he do that? I bet it would be really cool to just poof out of exsistance. I wonder if I would make a good god, maybe I could-"Ken was silenced yet again by a yank of his top-knot. Crysania imagined the Dark Quens throne room, and she and Ken started sliding towards her. "Yay, im gonna meet the evil Goddess Takhisis!"  
  
As they stopped sliding they were both tied up with black rope and were frozen. A dark figure came striding out, and it was not Takhisi in the form of the seducing woman. 


	6. Kenderling Saves the Day!

Chapter 9  
  
"Hello Lady Crysania," said Takhisis in the form of the Dark Warrior. Ken struggled so ask her a question, but a magical gag had appeared in his mouth out of nowhere. "I have a message for you." said Crysania, very pale. "And I got a message for you, bitch." said Kenderling hotly. Too many people had gagged him and tied him up and that was it. Takhisis was surprised. "How did you do that?" she demanded furiously. "Oh it was easy, I just imagined the gag out of mouth. And these ropes are easy to get rid of." And Kenderling stood up, as well as Lady Crysania, now angry. The Dark Warrior was about to say something, but Ken turned and dropped his leggings, exposing his bare kender rear.  
  
Takhisis was outraged, she snapped her fingers, and all of her minions appeared before them. Kenderling snorted and pulled out his hoopak and started twirling it with great skill. For once, Crysania approved of Fizban. This was a great help. "Takhisis," said Ken shrilly,. "Today is the day I dispatch your soul to chemosh. Ooh, I wonder what he would look like. Is he realy evil. I wonder if he would-" "Kenderling." said Crysania, bringing him back to reality. "Oh ya" said Kenderling somewhat hurt. He now had a queasy feeling in his stomach. It wasn't there before, and he would very much like it to go away. "Oops." Said Ken. Lady Crysania was frightened now. Oops were kender's famous last words.  
  
"Kill them." Said Takhisis. She smiled the most evil grin Kenderling had ever seen. All he minions had now rushed forward screaming at them, Kenderling calmly closed his eyes and imagined them all banished to Chemosh. When he opened his eyes they were all gone. "Kenderling." Said Crysania. "You did it! You saved us. Fizban may be strange, but he certainly gave me a good guide." She leaned down and kissed Ken on the cheek. Kenderling blushed three full shades of red. "Now let's get out of here." He said, as they started sliding towards the portal.  
  
Takhisis sat next to Chemsoh, thinking, a mere kinder had defeated her. And now she was next to Chemosh. Ugh! She would have to do it. "Oh Chemosh." Said Takhisis seductively as she changed into the the secuctive woman, and sat on his lap. Chemosh smiled.  
  
In Palanthas, Astinus looked down at the work he just written. A kender had defeated Takhisis. And for once, Astinus laughed. No one had ever heard him laugh. He returned to his work smiling, recording the history of Krynn. 


	7. From Shade to Man

Chapter Ten  
  
Raistlin Majere floated effortlessly up the stairs in The Tower of High Sorcery in Palanthas. He floated through the door, past the surprised Guardian, and in to the laboratory. It was his laboratory once again. All the familiar smells once again came back to him, a jumble of different memories. He just floated there for a moment, remembering all the things he had done, his experiments with life, and his experiments with death. The bat guano in the pouch smelled wonderful to him. But first, he needed to become mortal once again, and get out of this shade form.  
  
He looked over to the far corner of the laboratory where Kitiara's blood still stained the floor. Hanging on a rack above it, were his robes. He floated over to them and put them on. He let the warmth of the soft, black velvet caress his black skin. Once he had finished falling in love with magic all over again, he pulled a velvet bag out of pocket hidden deep in his robe. It was the last remaining dragon orb that could be found. Yes, this is what he needed to become mortal again.  
  
He walked over to a table in the middle of the room, and set the orb ever so carefully on the stand that was also in the bag. He put his thin fingers on the orb and was immediately plunged into a world of many colors, and yet at the same time, there were none. This time the hands did not try to pull him in, in fact, they weren't even there at all.  
  
"What do you ask of me master." Said the orb in a very bland voice. "Turn me back into a mortal." Hissed the mage. The orb's colors swirled for a moment, then stopped. A light of many colors, yet none shot out of the orb, and into Raistlin. Then it stopped as quick as it had begun. And Raistlin stood up as a mortal. His skin was not gold, but pale like Palin's. He turned towards a mirror in the far corner of his lab. His eyes weren't hourglasses, but blue, like they had used to be. Raistlin sobbed in happiness.  
  
Dalamar and Palin saw Lady Crysania and a kender near the where the portal should have been.  
  
"Quick." Said Dalamar, "There they are, let's get them. They appeared in front of Lady Crysania and the kender in an instant. Both jumped back in surprise "Who are you?" demanded Dalamar, "Speak quickly." Kenderling bowed low, and replied, "I am Kenderling, and this is Lady Crysania. Dalamar already knew who Lady Crysania was, they had met before in unfriendly circumstances. With a snap from Dalamar's fingers, they were transported back to the old laboratory.  
  
Raistlin knew who was coming even before they were through. He looked up and smiled cynically. Palin went even paler when he saw the skin. "I know everything, so enough has been said." Said Raistlin, looking at everybody. His apprentice had become smarter and wiser than the last time they met. Dalamar was a bit paler than usual. He had seen his trials.  
  
"Palin Majere, my nephew. Palin looked up at his uncle admiringly. Life was good now that his uncle was home. His uncle looked at him and pitied him. He knew. "I can't come home yet Palin, we need to finish some business about getting this portal back. Already the Gray Knights are messing with the Portal. We need to get it back so we can seal it for ever." Palin's head drooped. He really wanted to go home and have his uncle tutor him. Such was the price of having a wizard as an uncle. They all turned and headed down the stairs into the eternal darkness. 


	8. Vanifars End

Chapter 11  
  
Vanifar sat in front of the portal, cursing. The portal still would not open to him. Everyone in his castle stayed away from him. Someone would die today, and nobody wanted to give him a reason to kill them. No matter what he tried, the portal would not open to him. So he ordered another ale, and got even drunker. Someone would die today. He was angry. He unsheathed his sword and slashed the servant next to him in the heart without even looking.  
  
Raistlin Majere and the rest of the party stood in a circle with many runes written around it. He snapped his fingers, and they all puffed right in front of Vanifar without warning. He looked up stupidly and started swinging his sword at them. They all dodged it easily. The archmage snapped his fingers, which sobered him up. Vanifar gasped in horror as Raistlin approached him with a knife in his hand. "NO! NO! NO!" His voice gurgled as blood started shooting up from where Raistlin stabbed him in the throat. He snapped his fingers one more time, and they appeared again in the laboratory. Nothing could stop him now.  
  
Raistlin turned around and smiled at the party which was very silent. Kenderling shrunk away from his gaze. He turned and smiled to them all, saying, "Lets go home." 


End file.
